Round 1:
John McCarthy is the referee. Dodson opens southpaw with Johnson orthodox. Johnson and Dodson exchange leg kicks as the champion does the stalking. Left hook temporarily stuns Johnson, but he recovers quickly. Good counter left hook from Johnson lands. The two briefly clinch and exchange knees. Middle kick from Dodson finds the mark. Hard left hook now for Johnson, but the champ is still stalking. Johnson looks like locks up a double but Dodson won't stop fighting it off. They stand, but Dodson eats a right hook for his efforts. Close round.

Round 2:
Johnson pressuring, but eats a left hand and another early. They clinch along the fence and Johnson fires off several knees to the body. Johnson changes levels for a takedown and tries, but Dodson fights it off. Dodson drops Johnson with a hand two-punch combo, but the champion recovers. Johnson gets dropped again and this time the champion looks badly hurt. Johnson is back pressuring, but eats another left hook. Johnson hunts for a double and is easily shrugged off. Good right hand from Johnson as he chases. Dodson catches a kick and fires off a left hand. Johnson tries to clinch and eats a knee to the body.

Round 3:
Flying switch kick from Dodson is blocked. Left hook from Dodson finds the mark again. Hard knee from Dodson greets Johnson on a level change. An inadvertent groin shot from Johnson to Dodson briefly halts the action, but they're fighting again. Dodson attempts a flying knee, but misses. Hard left from Dodson also finds the mark. Two-punch combination from Johnson finds the mark as he rushes in. Hard kick to the body from Dodson lands. Pulling takedown from Johnson works and Dodson is flat on his back. Dodson stands, but Johnson is attempting another takedown as he presses him into the fence. Dodson clinch breaks and drives another knee to Johnson's body.

Round 4:
Two hard outside leg kicks from Dodson to start the frame. Johnson level changes again and eats a knee, but briefly gets a takedown. Dodson eats an illegal knee and the fight in temporarily halted. The fight resumes. Good stinging left straight from Dodson and a body shot follows. Johnson grabs a leg and is pressing Dodson into the fence. Dodson fires a knee up the gut and they separate. Good left hand for the challenger again. Left hook now from the champion. Johnson grabs a single, presses Dodson into the fence. Johnson breaks and cracks Dodson with a knee to the face. And a few more. And several more as Dodson begins to bleed. They break and Johnson cracks him with an elbow.

Round 5:
They clinch again and Johnson lands a knee, which then leads to a level change, which then leads to a takedown. Dodson stands and is now pressing Johnson into the fence. They break and Johnson almost runs down Dodson across the cage. They clinch briefly and then separate. Body shot lands from Dodson. Dodson puts his hands together and gets Johnson down ever so briefly before the champion stands again. They clinch again and Johnson is hanging all over him. A crushing knee hurts Dodson and he's hanging out blocking shots with his hands. Johnson clinches again and he's hammering Dodson with knees to the body and face. Over and over Johnson is landing on Dodson with knees from the clinch.